Risk of Certain Adverse Outcomes Up With Endoscopy in Pregnancy

TUESDAY, Feb. 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Endoscopy during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of preterm birth or small for gestational age, according to a study published in the February issue of Gastroenterology.

The researchers observed a significantly increased risk of preterm birth (adjusted relative risk [ARR], 1.54; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.36 to 1.75) or small for gestational age (ARR, 1.3; 95 percent CI, 1.07 to 1.57) with exposure to any endoscopy, but no significantly increased risk of congenital malformation (ARR, 1; 95 percent CI, 0.83 to 1.2) or stillbirth (ARR, 1.45; 95 percent CI, 0.87 to 2.4). For women with endoscopy, none of the stillbirths occurred less than two weeks after endoscopy. The ARRs were not dependent on trimester.

"In a nationwide population-based cohort study, we found endoscopy during pregnancy to be associated with increased risk of preterm birth or small for gestational age, but not of congenital malformation or stillbirth," the authors write. "However, these risks are small and likely due to intrafamilial factors or disease activity."